


Devils Brew

by Skelebeanz



Category: Undertale
Genre: M/M, scrapped
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 10:01:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 19,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18408359
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Skelebeanz/pseuds/Skelebeanz
Summary: Scrapped story





	1. Teaser

Teaser

 

    The city wasn’t as crazy at night as it was during the day. While it was still bustling with life, there was something about it that made it seem more peaceful. The moon shone down on it, stars glistening, but neither caught the eyes of those below. The smog from the city blocked most of the beauty out, it’s buildings lit by fancy lights and street lamps replacing the feel of the moon. Most had forgotten what it was like; the quiet night, crickets chirping and the gentle cool breeze that would push by. 

 

They knew they had forgotten that feeling, memories consumed by the darkness that twisted and turned inside of them. They were nothing but a piece of the bigger picture, a part of a game, waiting for the day to come where they would make their final move. The final, winning blow. This was nothing more but a chess game to them, one that was being played so carefully. Their eyes narrowed through the goggles, the equipment picking up their next target.

 

No one would ever know the male existed once they got their claws on him.


	2. Introduction

Monsters were real. Funny how humans believed that they were fairy tales, creatures from old myths and legends from the past. They had come to the shores not far from a large city, crammed packed on boats; each of them looked unique, their behaviours just as unique as they looked. The council that lead the species were greeted by the government, by the human race for the first time in centuries and feared the worst. The leading council of the species were worried for war the most, knowing that they were not only unprepared, but they wouldn’t stand a chance. Begging and pleading to those who greeted them, they were taken away from the public. 

 

A small city was set up for them, which was a quick placement and wasn't the most pleasant of places. No furniture or running water; food wasn’t present among them either, in which was quickly brought and distributed by the government. Once settled in somewhat, the council was heavily questioned and their subjects studied. They’d been on an island, one that hadn’t been touched by humans for several centuries, they stated; describing a world so heavenly, yet different from any the humans ever could know. They came with no malicious intentions and did their best to make it clear, explaining the loss of their home. It was why they had came, hoping to find a new home. People didn’t take this well, living-breathing myths and legends coming to life and now wanting to live among them.

 

    The public saw this and feared for their lives and how their worlds functioned, declaring that the monsters needed to be locked away; their arguments as simple as that they were dangerous and were there to take everything from them. The council of monsters disagreed heavily and tried to reason with the humans, but restrictions were put to place. They worked in factories, sweatshops, places no one wanted children or any human to work; places that would be away from most humans among the big city they had been permitted to go to. They were paid little to nothing and heavily discriminated against, living a life of unfathomable misery. The council was degraded, embarrassed, still trying to push for equality, a world that they all could live in peace.

 

    But, most humans didn’t like the idea. While their publics opinion had improved, the city had separated humans from the monsters. One side, in sectors, lived the monsters who suffered from the discrimination, the other side the humans, who carried on. People often ventured to the monster sections to cause trouble, the biggest issue was them picking on or ganging up on monsters who roamed alone or in pairs of two. Soon, it wasn’t only random monsters, but the council itself, the threats becoming attacks on them and their families. In fear and disgraceful embarrassment, they disbanded; now hoping that they and their families would be safer without the spotlight on them. 

 

    The monsters fell into despair from the lost of their only hope, the treatment on them worsening due to no one being there to represent them and keep them safe. Soon a trio arose, working hard to bring back the hope and to fight for monster equality; displaying a new found hope for the monster kind. Bruce, a bulldog like monster who was fierce, fighting and pushing anything aside that dare cross his path. He locked onto the arguments, the heavy discussions, with his iron jaws and knocked back those who tried to shut him down. Dee, a blue jay whom was highly intelligent and the brain of the group. She worked around and overcame any problem in her path; striding through new presented problems to her team and the topic regarding monster equality. She guided the team with precision. And Bloodshot, a skeleton who was the heart of the team. He went out to support and help others; no matter the race, what they identified as or loved, no matter how hard or the work he had to do. He gave others hope, showing his strength and inspiring others to have some as he threw charities, showing that everyone deserves a chance to live and to see the world they were born into. Together, they worked for equality, becoming the monsters icons. 

 

    Tony only wished he could be like that. A someone who mattered. He worked in a coffee shop downtown, a small one at that. It was within the monster territory; one of the many stores and offered some of the best coffee if he dared to say. It wasn’t too busy of a place and often had a few tables filled up at most with monsters who held their warm cups and spoke softly, but in the end, it was rather nice. It wasn’t much, but he didn’t complain. After all, It was far better than most places where monsters worked. He smiled, enjoying the smell of coffee and the warmth of the sweet little cafe. ‘One day’, he thought with a small smile as he cleaned one table off, ‘Things will be better’.


	3. Chapter 1  The midnight stroll

Chapter 1

The Midnight Stroll 

 

    The sun cast golden rays upon the bustling city. The sky was a calm blue, dappled with pretty little white clouds and contrasted heavily with the mess below. The skyscrapers reached up, some of the tops touching the clouds and disturbing them. Vehicles whizzed to and fro to whatever location their driver drove them, displaying only a fraction of the life of the bustling city. People passed by storefronts, talking on their phones or amongst themselves, heading to and fro just like the vehicles whizzing past them. The word was out, one which hadn’t been pretty for quite some time; monsters had come to live among the humans in the city, one they had plenty room to share. The humans didn’t quite like for a majority of reasons. The humans stated they didn’t feel safe, that the monsters would murder them and their loved ones, when monsters only acted in self defense and worked hard to support them, their families, and even humans.  

 

It all had become a mess within the first day, the monsters had been relocated to their sectors within the city, which was now split in half. Monsters were downtown and the humans naturally claiming the upper town area, which was far nicer than downtown. Glares, murmurs, and some of the smallest actions, such as the smallest touch or movement from the foreign species, escalated too. They were continuously discriminated against, suffering from the hateful glares and words spoken to them or about them, suffering from attacks and mistreatment. Monsters were barely making it by, being separated from the humans as best as possible. Sure some were able to buy their way in or some places the two races mixed, but they were usually kept divided and were watched closely. Tony- well didn't mind it to an extent. He managed, but still. He had a hard time. And with the last fight with his brother, Jason had moved out, leaving him alone and more anxious than ever. He couldn't help it- He was alone in a massive world that he barely could even begin to know. It was pretty nerve wracking at first, but he was getting the hang of it! 

 

    He'd found a coffee shop downtown that paid decently and had gotten himself a nice apartment. Tony couldn't quite find a reason to complain. He'd gotten settled in, gotten a phone and was- actually starting to love it here. It was rather peaceful, compared to a lot of places, but that was probably because it was on the monster side of town. He’d heard stories of what happened to most of the monster shops in the human territory. It wasn’t pretty. Since this was the monster region, things stayed particularly calm. He was surprised that some humans would occasionally came in to the store or waltzed around in their side, but most of them only did so out of curiosity and poke and prod at him and the others there. 

 

    "Tony, shifts up," AJ hummed, her nose twitching as she spoke. She was a bunny monster that had also managed to fill in the job at the coffee shop, in which he was rather glad about. She was fun to work with. AJ had light brown fur, like chocolate milk. Her ears, which had been put back in a ponytail, faded into a deeper shade of brown, that also was ringed below her eyes. Her soft paws, where the brown faded into a white, held up the closed sign. “I'm going to close up for tonight. It’s too late for anyone to head in, you go on and head on home." 

 

    "You sure you don’t need any help?" He asked, only to receive her signature look of, ‘really?’. He smiled sheepishly, sliding off his apron. It had the logo, ‘Caribou’ on it and stains from previous work. He hung it up, smoothing out his shirt underneath it before he snatched up his coat and put it on. The fur tickled his neck and face, but he smoothed it down as well, strolling to the back door. “Alright AJ! See you on Monday. Have a safe walk home!” He called out to her, seeing her give him a thumbs up. He decided that was good enough and strolled out, shuddering at the cold wind that whipped at his face.

 

    Usually his walks were peaceful- nice and quiet. The bustling city dying down a bit to a few street noises and the silence of the night. Tonight was freezing and he could somewhat see his breath in the dull lighting provided by the street lamps. It could be unsettling at times, but he usually found it nice. Sometimes relaxing. It was the darkness of the night that bothered him. He didn’t like to think about what awaited in the shadows for him. Shivering as the wind whipped past Tony and chilled his bones, he stopped to zip up his jacket. 

 

    "Do you have my fucking money?" A deep, rough voice snapped causing him to jump. He instantly panicked, eye lights flickering around. He was surprised to find no one in sight. "Big man said he'd have it to me by today." 

 

    "Big boss ain't givin' ya jack fer playin' so dirty with 's pet," Another voice snapped back. Tony blinked and quietly moved forwards towards the voices- unsure why. It was probably out of curiosity and that his life was- a bit dull. He knew he shouldn’t get involved though, he needed to move on- for the sake of his own safety, but he couldn’t. He was drawn to the alleyway. Peeking in, he saw figures standing and talking. There was three of them in total; the two punks standing off against the shadowy figure that lurked into the darkness that swallowed the alleyway. "Ya killed it 'and he ain't happy."

 

"Yup. Big man ain't happy. No sir no sir." A pig monster huffed, piggy nose twitching as he snorted. He looked rather horrendous. He was big, somewhat masculine with a potbelly. His pink skin looked rough like sandpaper, a long scar tearing it’s way across his snout and left eye. Piercings littered his ears, glittering in what little light reached into the secluded area. The dog monster beside him nodded, tail lashing. His brown fur bristled as he stared down his snout into the darkness, where the third figure hid. 

 

    "I don't care if he isn't happy. I want my damn money. A deal is a deal." The tall figure, who was hidden by the darkness, threatened as it loomed over the pair of punks. He could make out the smallest of things, mostly the colors he couldn’t quite make out and shimmering of some metal, but the figured seemed to have cloaked themself in the darkness and kept well hidden from sight. Bright red, glassy orbs shone in the light, empty and holding unseen malicion. The figures hands flexed, displaying whatever was attached to them in such a way that the monsters squirmed. "Where's my money?" 

 

    "We aint got it." The dog spat out, trying to maintain his stiff and defensive stance. He looked unnerved from what Tony could make out. What could be so scary to make the two punks take a step back? He peeked in farther, trying to see the figure they were talking to, unaware that he was putting at himself at high risk. His mind was more focused on them than himself becoming visible. 

 

A loud snarl sounded out, hellish and deep. The dogged whimpered, ducking back quickly as his pig companion moved to pull out a gun that had been concealed by his shirt. He was rather slow, hooves fumbling with the revolver before whipping it out. The dog joined in soon with his own gun, even if he was clearly worried, and they fired rounds. The shadowy figure growled, deep and rumbly, like loud thunder rumbling, before lunging towards them. A bullet nailed it in the head, it teetered backwards slightly where another caught its shoulder. It shook its head and lunged again, grabbing the pigs wrist and quickly twisted the gun out of it. Its head made contact with the pig’s, causing him to stumble back; the pigs nose now broken and bleeding. The pig stumbled back with a loud squeal and clutched his face. The dog faltered before firing his weapon, catching the figures attention again. 

 

    Tony jerked back, panicking as the commotion continued. His soul was pounding in his rib cage, breathing ragged as he dug around in his pockets for his phone. He fumbled around with it, once he pulled it out. 'What do I do?!? What do I do?!?!' He thought as he unlocked his phone, hitting the phone application and dialed 911. That seemed right??? Yeah? Yeah??? 

 

    Wasting no time as the call connected, he started to quickly talk into the phone, not paying attention to how loud he was. He tried to explain the situation, stuttering and panicking as he spoke. The lady on the line was confused, asking him to calm down and talk slower. 

 

    He was too panicked to notice how quiet it'd become. 

 

    The dog lay dead, neck snapped and pigs throat slit. The tall figure stiffened, attention turning to Tony. It moved to the exit, standing right behind Tony and growling. Tony froze, eye sockets widening as he looked over his shoulder, phone clattering to the ground. 

 

    The rest was a blur, him being grabbed and thrown to the ground. His skull hit the ground so hard, and, darkness.


	4. Chapter 2 The warmth of soup

Chapter 2

The Warmth of Soup

 

Tony awoke with a start, jolting upright. His eyes were wide and frantic, filled with fear as he looked around. His soul was pounding in his chest as he breathed heavily and he gasped, placing a hand on his chest. He could feel his pounding soul, the powerful hum and vibration from the magic that was being supplied by his non-existent heart. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths before he opened his eyes again, now realizing how blurry his vision was. He reached up to rub his eyes, confused when he felt fabric covering one eye socket. He panicked as he felt it, fingers tearing at it as his breathing became ragged again. 

 

“Woah! Hey- goodness-,” A rather large hand clasped around his wrist, gently pulling his hand down to his lap. Tony looked up at the person who’d touched him, his breath catching in his throat. The other was a monster just like him, a skeleton to be exact. His features were more sharper and seemed more darker than his own. His cheekbones sharp and fine, unlike Tony’s own rounded and somewhat chubby ones. The other skeleton had a pattern, a dark black that outlined his face. It covered the back of his skull and around his cheekbones, meeting the corners of his mouth. It reminded Tony of a skull like pattern of some sort. Red underlined his black eyes, almost as if someone has replaced the black under his eye sockets from being tired with red. His eye sockets held big, bubbly red orbs, in which he could see hints of orange and yellow. He was wearing a black t-shirt with some logo Tony had never seen before and some jeans, which looked rather tight. Almost as if they were hugging his bones. While the shirt hung loosely, it cut off a bit below his shoulders. His humerus was painted with a crisp white until it reached his radius, ulna, and hands, which were a dark black. Two fingers took out on his hands, his entire pointer finger red and a bit of his thumb was as well. “Take it easy, you’re alright.”

 

Tony blinked, his sight no longer blurred and he now realised he could only see out of one eye socket. Bandages. There was bandages covering that his left eye socket and the top and back of his skull. Why? A dull throb made he wince, the pain catching up with him once he’d calmed down enough for the magic to stop rapidly coursing through him. His brows furrowed, the pain increasing in a more harsh throb. 

 

“Ow.” Ow was an understatement for how he felt. His skull felt was if someone has taken a sledge hammer to it and busted it open. Why? Why did it feel like that? Where was he? Who was that? The other skeleton loomed over him, wearing a rather concerned expression. Anxiety welled up in him as he realized the situation and he leapt out of the bed, picking up a pencil on the nightstand next to the bed. He wielded if in front of him as if it was a powerful sword, his pupils shrinking as he narrowed his one eye at the other monster. His soul pounded in his rib cage yet again, sending out a wave of magic again, which would be considered adrenaline if he were human. 

 

“Who are you?” Tony asked, voice scratchy. It felt like he’d swallowed a cheese grater. The skeleton in front of him tensed, seemingly dwelling over what would be the best way to approach the situation. “Tells me right now- or- o-or I’ll-,” His breath caught in his throat, unsure on what he would actually do. He was in no position to make threats and even at that, he couldn’t use his magic and had no weapons. His body cried out in pain too and didn’t help the situation in the slightest. “Uh-” 

 

The taller chuckled at him, almost as if he found this- amusing? Why would this be amusing? Was this guy a physcopath? A killer? Did he kidnap him?! He shakily inhaled, grip tightening on the pencil as a rather sharp throb came from his aching skull. 

 

“Listen, I know you’re scared,” Scared was another understatement. “But I can assure you that you’re safe. My name is Bloodshot, I’m one of the Icons that promote monster equality. That and several charities of all sorts,” Bloodshot paused, rubbing the back of his neck. Tony relaxed slightly, mulling over the others words. He was pretty sure he’d seen the other on the news a couple times. “I found you on the street last night, when I was coming home. I think you got jumped by a gang or something? You were pretty busted up and I took you in, to heal you. Since the hospitals aren’t much help and wouldn’t really..see a monster. Humans don’t care too much for us and even if they did help...They don’t know much about us and wouldn’t have been able to treat your wounds.” 

 

“So….”

 

“So I took you here and patched you up as I stated. I don’t mean any harm,” He finished, moving to pick up a bowl he must’ve carried in with him when he came in and caught him panicking. It made Tony felt better knowing who this was, but he knew better than to trust a stranger. Even if they were famous. “All of your stuff is on the dresser up there, except for your phone, its charging right there.” The taller nudged his skull in the direction of the nightstand, where Tony could see his phone sitting. He moved over to place down the pencil on the nightstand, fingers brushing against his device. 

 

“And I brought you soup.” 

 

Tony blinked, unsure how to take the statement. He was weary, but sat down on the bed in hopes it’d ease his pain. The other held out the bowl to him, it’s contents smelling absolutely delicious. He took in his own hands, the warmth from it sinking into his bones, which made him relax slightly. He picked up the spoon that was sitting in the bowl, taking a spoonful- then pausing. What if it was-

 

“No, it’s not poisoned.” Bloodshot stated before the other started questioning it. Tony blushed slightly and sipped on the spoonful. It was delicious and he instantly ate another spoonful.  Bloodshot left while Tony was eating, not wanted to be intruding as the small skeleton ate. What Bloodshot had left to do, Tony didn’t know.

 

“What do I owe you for this?” He finally asked, eyes peering up at the other once he’d finished the bowl of soup. No one would do this for free, especially without no malicious or greedy intentions. His body felt much better, his pain ebbed away by the warmth of the soup. 

 

“Nothing really,” The taller stated with a small smile, him patting his pant pockets with a hum. Tony was a bit taken back by the others words, eyes widening as Bloodshot moved to take his empty bowl and spoon. He looked at how his claws scrapped against the plastic, yet Bloodshot seemed to be careful not to scratch it.  “Actually, there is something.”


	5. Chapter 3 The deal

Chapter 3

The Deal

 

    “W-what!?” Tony exclaimed, causing Bloodshot to wince. He nervously chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck while the smaller skeleton looked up at the other. His face was a mixture of confusion and a bit of agitation. “You just said that you wanted nothing!” Tony gestured, even though he had no room to complain or be disgruntled. Though he thought it was pretty ridiculous that the other had changed his mind so quickly.

 

What would Bloodshot even want from him? Tony didn’t really have anything. He wasn’t rich and didn’t have anything to offer for what Bloodshot had done for him. Why had Bloodshot helped him again? He huffed, drawing back as he thought to himself. Bloodshot was one of the three icons, the ones that pushed and fought for monster equality since the Council dispersed. He was pretty sure the other two monsters that made up the group was Dee and Bruce. Then again, he could be wrong. He didn’t know much about the trio other than the basic ‘three monsters fighting to protect monsters rights and bring not only equality, but peace to their kind’. 

 

“It’s nothing major! I don’t want money or you to give me anything,” The taller stated, waving his hands at the him. He looked nervous, his brows furrowed as he looked at Tony. Was he rethinking if he should ask or not? What was he going to ask? Tony huffed and shook his skull slightly. Now he was curious and wanted to know. Thankfully, Bloodshot continued, “I bought this game right- and Dee and Bruce think it’s stupid! I’ve been waiting months for it to come out!”

 

Tony blinked at Bloodshots mini outburst. He actually seemed upset by it, his cheekbones puffed out slightly as his nose twitched. Why was his nose twitching? Tony wanted to ask, but remained quiet. He didn’t want to be rude, despite how he felt a bit agitated. He watched how Bloodshot leapt off the bed and dashed over to pull a game off a shelf, which he quickly realized was filled with other games and action figures. Was this guy a gamer? He quite frankly liked games, but just couldn’t afford them and the consoles. Yet here Bloodshot seemed to have it all. Jealousy sparked up in his soul, but he didn’t dwell on it. 

 

“It’s called Sea of Thieves,” Bloodshot pointed a finger at the cover as he held it out to Tony. Tony’s eyes scanned the cover, which had a pirate ship sailing through the ocean with pirates in it, before turning his gaze make to Bloodshot. Bloodshot’s big, bubbly eyes met his and he inhaled. “It looks like so much fun! And I didn’t even know if I wanted to be semi-successful, I had to have friends to play with.”

 

Tony wasn’t sure how to take this or even begin to process it. Bloodshot, a millionaire, who was very popular, wanted him to play a game with him? A nobody, just another monster who roamed in the city and worked at a small coffee shop. He rubbed his skull, wincing as he was greeted with pain from touching it. What was he even supposed to say? 

 

“You don’t have to play, it’s fine. I just don’t really have any friends other than Dee and Bruce,” Bloodshot stated softly, drawing the game back to his chest. Tony couldn’t still get over the fact he was being asked to play a game with a super star. The taller skeleton fidgeted, looking a bit concerned that Tony hadn’t responded and had resorted to dropping his hands in his lap. “Though, I just thought it’d be fun and something for you to do while you stay. I mean, that is if you want to stay and recover here. I’d suggest it- but I won’t force you to stay.” 

 

    “I’ll stay,” Tony managed to say, smiling slightly. Bloodshot looked relieved, the tension in his shoulders releasing as he beamed. “But are you sure I won’t be bothering you? And uh...do you have my inhaler by chance?” He needed it, especially now that he was staying. Silly how a skeleton could have asthma, but Bloodshot didn’t question it or make fun of him. He just simply held up a finger and vanished from the room, only to return about a minute later with Tony’s inhaler. “Thank you, um- can you look away?” Tony asked sheepishly when Bloodshot handed it to him.

 

To his surprise he did, no questions asked. He didn’t even try to peek. Tony held the inhaler up to his mouth, spraying it into his mouth as he inhaled. He did it again before placing the cap on it and put it on the night stand beside the bed. Bloodshot stood there, clearly waiting for him to give him the okay that he could turn around and Tony chuckled. 

 

“You can turn around now,” Tony hummed, Bloodshot turning around and plopping down the bed. He sat at the edge so he didn’t disturb Tony and fidgeted with the cover of the game. “So...You want to play the game now?”


	6. Chapter 4 Hes a gamer

Chapter 4

He’s a Gamer

 

    Tony wasn’t sure what to expect when the game was put in and Bloodshot had seated himself on the edge of the bed. He looked so excited, a big grin stretched out on his face as he started up the game. Tony sat there idly, moving the joysticks and running his fingers over the buttons. He was too nervous to do anything, he’d never handled an ‘Xbox’ as the taller had called it. His brother had a playstation, but it was old and outdated. On top of that, he hadn’t been allowed to touch it and his brother had hoarded it to himself. 

 

“So….” He drawled on, poking at the joysticks as Bloodshot glanced back at him. He met the other’s eyes, not really sure how to pop the question or inform the other. He just agreed to a deal, something like that anyway, and he didn’t have the slightest idea how the controller worked. Of course he knew that they all meant some kind of function in the game, he just wasn’t sure what. “How exactly does this all work?” 

 

Tony winced as he choked out the last bit, expecting the other to get upset or something, but just got a chuckle in response. What was that supposed to mean? Was it funny to him? He looked down at the controller, blushing as he felt embarrassment creep up on him. Great. He'd embarrassed himself in front of one of the monster’s icons. He always did, messing up or getting too socially awkward. 

 

“Alright,” Bloodshot finally hummed, scooting over to him. Tony blinked, looking down at Bloodshot, who had laid down on his stomach and stretched out, using his arm to prop himself up beside Tony. “So these here are the joysticks. They are usually used to move the character you are playing as and look around,” He pointed to what he had been messing with earlier. “These here, the buttons, can be various things. It depends on the game most of the time. I’m not sure what is what in this game, but I can guarantee one has to be a jump button or one to open the inventory.”  

 

    Tony listened carefully, pressing some buttons that Bloodshot pointed to and moved the joysticks. Okay, he had gotten that much down. It was as simple as that, just moving and jumping. Though, it would probably be ten times harder when the game started and he knew he’d get lost in an instant. But, a deal was a deal. If he would even call it that. Bloodshot had taken him in and saved him instead of leaving him to dust, this was the least he could do. Plus, the taller skelton could’ve requested for something much darker and sinister. He shouldn’t complain, stranger or not. 

 

    “What about these here?” he asked, pointing to the left side with the weird arrow looking things. Bloodshot cocked a brow, eyeing what Tony had pointed at. “And these? On the back.” The taller chuckled, looking at his own controller that was in the hand he was using to support himself. 

 

    “Those there are arrow keys, which you won’t need. So, don’t worry about them. The ones on the back...Don’t worry about them either,” Bloodshot spoke so softly, even if his voice was deep and had somewhat of a rough gravelly tone to it. He retracted to the edge of the bed again, the music booming from the speakers to notify them that the games menu popped up. “Alright, multiplayer here we come!” 

 

Tony gulped, watching the game start up, loading. They sat there until they were introduced to the dock, a character ready to rattle off the tutorial. He paid close attention, wanting to get all the controls down and not look dumb in front of Bloodshot. He didn’t want to embarrass himself even if Bloodshot didn’t say anything. He was glad the Icon didn’t say anything. His brother would constantly pick on him and this was a nice change. 

 

The tutorial ended and two were left to play the game. Needless to say, they both sucked at first. Bloodshot had gotten better and if he hadn’t known that he was new to the game, he would’ve thought the other was a professional. The other had mastered the basics, though he faltered in new scenarios. He always seemed to figure a way out of it or around it, which surprised Tony. He got stumped, but still tried to keep up. It was fun nevertheless, Bloodshot didn’t exclude him even if he was a bit slow and kind of sucked. They also made jokes and plans for the game. 

 

    Hours passed before Bloodshot tossed his controller back onto the bed and lay down on his back. It popped and he groaned, proceeding to stretch out to rub his back. Tony eyed him, setting down his controller as well. He took it that they were done for right now. He’d had a blast admittedly, enjoying himself in the other's presence. Too bad he’d have to leave. 

 

    “Gamer break!” Bloodshot finally piped up, looking back at Tony with a grin. “It’s almost five o’clock, can you believe that? I’m thinking about making some ribs, man that sounds so good, I am sooooo making ribs.” The other chuckled and sat back up, rubbing his back. He spared a glance back at Tony and smiled again. Tony smiled back, liking the sound of the idea, but felt awkward that the other was cooking for him and that he’d be eating up the others food. “You like ribs right?”

 

“Yeah. Me and Jason ate them once,” Tony replied, fidgeting with his shirt. Bloodshot watched him, but there was nothing giving away what he was thinking. Then he cocked a grin which turned smirked, causing Tony to shrink down. “They were really good- you don’t have to cook for me though! I don’t want to eat all of your food.” 

 

    “You’re not eating up my food,” Bloodshot stated softly and took Tony’s hand into his own, running his thumb over Tony’s knuckles. His hands were rough compared too Tony, yet with whatever part he had rubbed his hand with was soft and somewhat squishy. “I don’t know what made you think that, but you are not. I don’t mind cooking for you and honestly, I’m glad to have someone to cook for. Your company is very pleasant too. Plus, you’re my guest, so I better cook for you, it’s only polite that I do.” 

 

    Tony blushed, unsure what to say. He sat there, shocked and bewildered by the others actions and words. Bloodshot looked up at him with that soft smile, his big bubbly eye lights meeting his own. He should probably say something right? Bloodshot probably was waiting for him to say something and starting to feel awkward because he wasn’t.

 

“O-oh-Um- I’m glad that you like my company-?” He tried, Bloodshot raising a brow. Yeah, that didn’t sound right. “I-I mean I wouldn’t w-want to be a nuisance you k-know? Hahah-?” He tried again, digging a bigger hole. He cringed and withdrew his hand from Bloodshots, leaving the other looking up at him with a big grin. “B-BAH! RIBS SOUND GREAT!” 

 

Bloodshot laughed at how nervous and timid Tony had gotten, patting his shoulder before he got up. Tony only blushed more, his embarrassment creeping up his spine. Stars, he felt so dumb, embarrassing himself in front of the Icon. Why couldn’t he not be socially awkward for five minutes? The other probably thought he was weird and dumb! He looked up at Bloodshot, who he had been avoiding his gaze for a moment, searching for something that would show that Bloodshot confirmed his thoughts. He didn’t find anything other than that he seemed happy and enjoyed Tony’s presence. 

 

“Heh, well, I’ll go get started on cooking them then! If you need anything, feel free to call for me or head to the kitchen. Otherwise, help yourself to the TV!” Bloodshot chirped, sliding off  the bed. Tony watched him leave, eyes falling on his hands after he was out of sight. 

 

    Did he want to get up? His skull didn’t hurt anymore and neither did his body, so that was something. Though, it could start hurting if he got up and out of bed. He frowned and reached over, snatching up the remote from the nightstand. The other had said he could help himself to the TV- so what could he watch? He didn’t get to watch much, thanks his job and the fact nothing was really on the cheap channels he had purchased. He just wanted to be able to succeed in being a blogger, but he wasn’t popular and there was a lot of racist people. Which he was surprised by and he didn’t quite know why. Tony turned his attention back to the news, a bit surprised by the news that was playing. Of course Bloodshot would be keeping up with the news! There was nothing weird about that. 

 

Nothing at all.


	7. Chapter 5 The sad departure

Chapter 5

A Sad Departure 

 

    It was time for Tony to leave now that he had recovered, even if he didn't want too. He’d spent two days with Bloodshot and every second he enjoyed. While he was often lonely, not having too many friends, this was a nice change of pace. Bloodshot kept him company, gave him games to play, and provided delicious meals. He could recall the smallest of conversations, him asking about his work as an Icon within the Trio, anxious about being a nuisance (in which Bloodshot stated he wasn’t), and the game plans. Now that he was leaving, Bloodshot was probably going to forget he existed and all the game plans they made would go down the drain. Then again, what was he expecting? 

 

    “That’s everything,” Bloodshot hummed, the two departing from the hotel lobby they had walked through to get through the exit. He followed close behind and walked Tony to his cab, his eyes briefly scanning his surroundings before landing back on Tony. Tony was surprised the other had called him a cab, but said nothing about it; unsure on what to say and the fact he had to leave dampening his mood. “You take care, alright? Don’t go walking around again that late. I’d hate to see someone like you get hurt again.” 

 

    Tony nodded, trying to find the words to ask if they could hang out again. He didn’t have the courage though and kept his mouth shut. His mouth and throat was dry as he waved goodbye to Bloodshot and stepped into the cab. “Thank you,” He managed to croak out, unsure why he bothered him so much to leave this stranger. Probably because had so much fun and enjoyed himself more than anything with him? “For everything.”

 

    The taller skeleton chuckled and shrugged, watching Tony close the door to the cab. He didn’t stay long after, Tony watching him head back into the luxurious hotel. He sighed and slumped in his seat, eyes on his lap. This sucked. He was going back to his old life. He told the driver his address and they nodded, swerving into the bustling traffic of the city. 

 

    “Hey, was that Bloodshot?” The cab driver asked, the cats eyes looking at him through the rearview mirror. He nodded, unsure what else to say. He couldn’t bring himself to really brag. Most people probably wouldn’t believe him. “So cool. I heard he’s the third richest person in the world. I wonder where he gets all his money. He’s so cool too, he’s the heart of the team.” 

 

    Tony listened to the cat monster babble on and on about the trio, not really taking anything they said into account. Well, unless it was Bloodshot. He wanted to know more about the other. ‘Not creepy at all,’ He told himself mentally, sighing. He watched all the people and monsters they passed by. It was mostly monsters since it was the monster side of town they’d driven into. Bloodshot lived in the human side, where things were much prettier and lovely. Did his team live there too? On that side? Bloodshot had stated he did a lot of the paperwork, though Dee usually covered it. She was the brains. Bruce was the speaker, handling a lot of meetings and locking onto arguments with his iron jaws. 

 

    “We’re here,” The driver stated, turning to look back at him. He was ready to pay, but she just shook her head. “Bloodshot already paid for you.” Oh. He blushed and just nodded again, sliding out of the cab. He could feel the felines eyes on him as he walked to his shabby apartment before they sped off. He dug around in his pockets for his key card and frowned when he felt something else in his pocket with it. 

 

    He tugged it out, find it to be a piece of paper with the words scrambled across it. 

 

‘ Call me! I look forwards to hanging out again - Bloodshot  ‘ 

 

    His eye sockets widened as he read it, unsure how to feel. He was- happy? And shocked too. Tony eyed the phone number provided and sheepishly smiled. He couldn’t believe that Bloodshot had snuck that into his pocket without telling him. Why hadn’t the taller just given it to him in person? Probably because he didn’t want others eyeing him. He was an icon and he knew people looked for anything on them to slap on the news. They did that to any celebrity. 

 

Still, this was the best day ever.


	8. Chapter 6 one of those days

Chapter 6

One of those days

 

    

    Tony wanted to text Bloodshot immediately when he saw the others number, but refrained. He didn’t want to look desperate or weird. Then again, he didn’t want to ignore him either or look like he was blowing the other off. So, he left it be for the day. He walked back inside, hit with the realization that he had left behind his pet, Darcy. He felt his chest tighten and he rushed to his bedroom, flinging open the door to reveal his messy room lit up by the faint glow from the cage. He rushed over, calling out Darcy’s name as he looked for his pet. 

 

“Darcy! Please be okay, I’m so sorry I was gone for so long!” He cried out, tipping over the little cave. He relaxed slightly when he saw the tennis ball and gently picked up, hoping that the little hermit crab would be okay. To his relief, she was, her eyes poking out to looking at him as she began to scuttle along his hand. “Goodness, Daddy missed you! I’m sorry for leaving you like that.”

 

He spent about an hour cleaning out Darcy’s cage after his series of apologies, refilling her little food bowl and wetted her sponge. All during that time, he let the little crab scuttle around in his room. After he had finished, he returned her back to the cage, him turning to reading things on the icons due to the fact he didn’t have anything else to really do in his glum apartment. Since he had met one of the trio in person, he wanted to keep up with what they were doing and have more knowledge on them. Hopefully that wasn’t weird. He also checked his social medias, only to find minor notifications. 

 

    He checked them, looking at who followed him and who commented what, as well as what he’d been DMed. His DMs were often pretty odd. Like….really odd. People wanted to know if he had a tongue or even how he ate. He was pretty sure he wasn’t the only one who got these odd messages about being a skeleton as well. Bloodshot had to get a ton. Did he get fanart? Have a social media account? He was pretty sure the other skeleton did as well as the other icons and he didn’t dare look at whatever fanart was made. 

 

    Moving on from his phone, not wanting to focus on the icons in worry he’d look weird or something along the lines of it, he ordered pizza. A movie too. It wasn’t the best, but it was good enough for him. He had dozed off on the couch after a while, a pizza box with his soda set on the table while he was all sprawled out on the couch. Thankfully it was the weekend when he had got hurt, so he hadn’t missed any work. While the human running the coffee shop was friendly compared to many others, she wouldn’t excuse it. No pay. That was how it worked.

 

    Tony awoke with a start as his alarm went off, jolting upright. He swiped it off, checking the time. The past three days seemed like a dream and he wasn’t sure if they even happened. He rubbed his skull, looking at the paper that Bloodshot had written his number down on. Yeah. It was real. He was happy that it was real, that he hadn’t dreamt of all of that. Smiling, he got up and made a beeline for his room.

 

    There was no way he was going to work in these clothes! They were nasty. Digging through his closet, he searched for something decent to wear. It was cold out due to what humans called winter, so definitely a long sleeve shirt and jeans. He could bring along a hoodie or jacket to wear on his walk over. Pulling out his long sleeved t-shirt; which was white along the top, cut by a dark blue streak along his middle and the rest was blue, and a pair of dark blue skinny jeans with holes where his knee were, he changed. He tossed his dirty clothes into his laundry basket before moving over to his dresser. Opening the second drawer, he pulled out a pair of white socks. He slipped them on before jogging over to the door to grab his shoes. 

 

    There wasn’t really any rush, but he wanted to eat breakfast and brush his teeth before leaving. That and text AJ about everything that had happened. He wasn’t quite sure how to handle it all when he thought back on it. Near death experience, being rescued and healed by a stranger, then to realize he was one of the trio and play games with him, as well as get his number. What a ride. He smiled and slipped on his shoes, tying the laces. An awful, but yet awesome experience.

 

    Reaching over to the table, he snatched up his phone eyeing the time. Yeah he had plenty of time. Maybe he could shoot Bloodshot a text? It was early though, so maybe at about eight? He decided eight and pocketed his phone, making his way into his small kitchen. It was shabby, but he didn’t complain. Did he want to attempt cooking something or eat out? He sat there debating, but decided to eat out because he knew for a fact he certainly couldn’t cook. Tony pocketed his phone and a wad of cash, which was mostly ones and fives, before heading to his bedroom to say goodbye to Darcy. It was a habit. 

 

    “Bye Darcy! I’ll be back soon,” Tony chriped, watching how she moved over to the wet sponge. She had to have been thirsty. He closed the door and headed to the door of his apartment, scooping up his jacket as he walked by the couch. He had his key- right? He dug around in his jacket pocket until he found it and stuffed it into his pants pocket. Now he was ready. Smiling, he opened his door and stepped out, feeling more excited than usual. “Must be one of those good days.”

 

* * * * *

 

    Tony had completely forgotten to text Bloodshot. The past week ended up being far more hectic than he expected; each day worse than the other and drew his attention away from texting the Icon. Work had been the main problem, it being super busy as well as hectic and the fact a machine exploded. It got coffee everywhere, which was so sticky and he got stuck cleaning it all up. Today had to be the day it had exploded to, resulting in several unhappy customers and the last of his energy from the draining week to be spent on cleaning up the mess. By the time he had walked home, he was downright exhausted, but thankful they had closed early due to the machine. He simply didn’t have the energy. 

 

    Scooping up Darcy, he plopped down on the bed and placed her on his chest. She peeked out of her little tennis ball shell and he smiled, rubbing the ball with his finger. Darcy was so cute and provided him company. He remembered what it was like before without her, being alone in an empty and dull apartment. While it was still that, she made everything just a bit brighter. The little crab poked out her claws, beginning to move around his chest. 

 

    “It’s been a long day,” He finally spoke up, watching how she dragged the tennis ball behind her. No matter how many times she had roamed his room and bed, she was still curious. That or she just couldn’t sit still. “The store was absolutely packed today and AJ got stuck taking care of them. I wanted to help her, but a machine exploded and coffee went everywhere, so I ended up cleaning that,” He sighed, closing his eyes and tilted his skull back. Why was everything so miserable? “Some of the customers were so hateful, I’m not sure why. Probably because I’m a monster.” 

 

    The hermit crab shuffled towards his face and he chuckled, poking one of her claws. She was quick to scuttle away and make her destination elsewhere. As much as he liked his pet, he couldn’t stand having her on his face. Tony looked up at his ceiling and sighed yet again. So many things clouded his thoughts as he laid there with the crab scuttling around. He made sure to prevent her from falling off him or the bed, helping her climb up and down his sides as well as blocking off the edge of the bed when Darcy adventured over to it. Darker thoughts began to crawl into his mind as time went on and he sat up, picking up Darcy. He had enough. No more of that! 

 

    “How about a movie?” He asked the hermit crab and she just squirmed in his hands. What would they watch? He didn’t have anything to watch besides the movie he had retented. He could watch it before the timer on it ended. Though, it wasn’t that good of a movie Maybe see what was on TV? “What do you think they will be playing today? Some Cartoons? They don’t play anything new and repeat the episodes though,” Tony sighed and turned on the TV.

 

    He was greeted by the news, his heart skipping a beat when he saw what was on. Negativity gripped him as he stared breathlessly, watching as the news man spoke and played the clips. “Oh my Stars...”


	9. Chapter 7 the news

Chapter 7

The News

 

 

    Tony couldn’t believe what he was seeing. On the news played a burning building as the news reporter tried to explain everything as best as they could, since most details were unclear and unknown. Still, Tony couldn’t peel his eyes away from the fiery building that was now starting to crumble. Police officers ushered people back as a chunk came tumbling down, crushing a car. He shakily exhaled, watching in horror as the building crumbled some more, dropping dirbus on the streets. People and monsters were assisting each other to get away. 

 

    “There’s still people in there!” One lady shouted, grasping a massive wolf like monster that was shielding her from the falling rubble. Police and firefighters were trying to get people away from the buildings while some groups were dispatched in. “Oh my god!” 

 

    Tony stared in disbelief at the screen as it showed those who were being pulled out or the groups that came out, seeing how the smoke and fire scorched them. Some were being ushered into the ambulances while others reunited with their family. The camera man spoke up again, explain had received more information on the terrible calamity that was occurring. 

 

    “Bombs were placed within the building by a group of unknown individuals, who were trying to prevent the meeting on monster equality. Reports say that the Trio were there. Whether they are injured or not along with those in the meeting with them are okay has not surfaced,” The news man looked down at his information, inhaling before continuing to speak. “No one knows how many were trapped or were killed in the explosion. Officers and Firefighters are trying to clear the area due to the building collapsing. This is truly a sad and very horrible event.” 

 

    The screen went back to the building, more and more people as well as now monsters, emerging from the exit. The majority of the area had now been cleared, police and firefighters on the scene. He could see medics and ambulances in the background and here and there, rushing to tend to people or take them to the hospital. The news reporter had stated the Trio had been there for a meeting, so that meant…

 

    “Bloodshot,” Tony choked out, feeling fear overwhelm him. Was he okay? The reporter had said they had no news on their condition and….He couldn’t help but pet Darcy. He had failed to notice how still she had become, sitting there as if she too had been affected by this tragic event. “Do you think he’s okay? I should’ve texted him..I should’ve sent him something…” 

 

    Why the idea of texting Bloodshot mattered to him, he didn’t know. He just felt guilty and horrible for it. Like his text might have altered the future and gotten Bloodshot away from that. Now he could be dead. He just felt miserable, continuing to watch the screen as his day continued to descend even farther down the rabbit hole. The fact that Bloodshot could be gone, that his Trio could be dead was absolutely devastating. He knew he wasn’t the only one devastated by the idea and the possible outcome. Monsters would fall into a great depression, their hope being ripped away again by this calamity. 

 

    “What’s this? It looks like both Bruce and Bree, two icons of the monster race, are coming out!” Tony leaned towards the TV, watching how two monsters emerged. One was a rather tall and bulky bulldog. His fur was black, from the smoke or natural coloring, he was unsure. It shimmered in the light, exposing a slash along his cheek and hands, bit of green blood trickling down and through his fur. His fancy tux was stained with it and the smoke, bits torn open. His green eyes shone brightly, showing that he wasn’t giving up despite what he had endured. From what, Tony was unsure. In his arms, he held a human, a lady who’s leg was clearly broken. She looked terrified, but Bruce kept her close, instantly shedding away from his companion to take her to an ambulance. “He’s got a woman! And look at that! She’s not the only one!” 

 

    The camera panned away to Dee, who was assisting three people out of the building and away from it, using her magic to shield them from the rubble. An elderly man leaned against her, hobbling to an ambulance. The other two had been a couple, the man and woman hugging, laughing and crying. Clearly happy to have made it out alive. The lady Bruce had taken over was being hugged by a man, what Tony assumed was her husband. His eyes flicked from the happy couples to Dee, who had moved to lean against Bruce. 

 

    She was much shorter than him, her being a blue jay monster. Her bright blue feathers stained by the smoke and bright blue eyes weary and tired. He smiled slightly, relieved that they seemed to be okay. A goat like monster was sent over to assist them since no human really knew what to do, using their healing magic to tend to their cuts and burns. Despite that the building was crumbling and falling, the situation was being eased, monsters assisting the humans and help prevent the debris and rubble from crushing or harming anyone. They also worked together to take out the fire, but yet, there still was no sign of Bloodshot. While Tony was happy that all the people and monster found had been evacuated, he still yearned to see Bloodshot leave the building alive. 

 

    The screen continued to play, showing the races working together as the news reporter rattled on, explaining how the situation was being handled thanks to the work of the two races. People were saved too, thanks to monsters healing magic and abilities. Those in critical conditions percentage in living had been raised by fifty percent or more. That was astonishing apparently, but not to the monsters. They were aware of their abilities. 

 

    “Hey, we got something!” A news reporter shouted, turning the cameras attention to the opening of the building. Out came the skeleton Tony desperately wished to see, his eyes burning with the very ferocious fire he had emerged from. His face was burned on one side, scorched and stained with black. His clothes torn and scorched liked his face. He was carrying two people, one on his back in the form of a piggy back, the other in his arm. A toddler and adult. The women was unconscious, clearly injured by the fire. The other he held in his arm was the toddler, who was clinging to him, her face not visible due to it being smothered in Bloodshots ruined tux. “Would you look at that! He’s got two people!”

 

    Two cops dashed over to Bloodshot, trying taking the kid who seemed to cry and fight back. He seemed to speak to the girl and she calmed down before letting the cops take her. Whatever words that had been exchanged were unknown due to the camera not picking up their words over the commotion. The woman was taken away by two medics who had rushed over with a gurney, taking her away from the disaster and to an ambulance. Another woman joined them, taking the child after speaking to the cops and smothered her in kisses. Bloodshot had dispersed from them to speak to the cops, the camera panning on him and his wounds. 

 

    Tony couldn’t believe how Bloodshot was still standing. His wounds looked severe and he didn’t seemed to care or even bat an eye. Then again, he probably couldn’t have. He watched the TV intently, seeing how he was joined by Dee and Bruce, who ushered him to be healed. Bloodshot seemed hesitant for some odd reason and seemed to decline, but monsters assisted  him regardless. 

 

    “It seems that most of the people were evacuated, most suffering from burns or broken bones at worst. There’s still some missing however,” The news man stated, panning into view as the video of the burning video was replaced by him. “We will continue to give you updates on this story as time goes on.” 

 

    Tony shakily inhaled and ran his free hand over his skull. Darcy stirred in his hand slightly, startling him. “Ah! Darcy- I forgot...you were there,” He wasn’t really sure how, but probably because of how still she had been. She looked up at him with her black eyes and he sighed, rubbing her tennis ball she used as a shell. “Today has been….Crazy. I can’t believe this happened! Who would even do that?”

 

    He got no response from his pet crustation, but a part of him knew, it had to be the humans who were trying to prevent the monster race from having equal rights. They didn’t believe their species should have such rights and looked down their noses at him and his kind. How crazy would this get? Dangerous? If it was the humans, they injured hundreds and if not killed over a dozen of people. Then again...None of the details had been released or no one knew the cause yet. Tony knew he shouldn’t assumed. 

 

    “This is going to be one hell of a ride.” 

   


	10. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The Aftermath

 

 

    The next day was nothing but the definition of hellish. Tony felt horrible, his mood damped and crushed under the weight of the attack that occurred yesterday; which left him restless and prevented him from really getting any rest. His whole body ached, bones sore as he sat up and rubbed his eyes. The sunshine seemed duller than usual, shining into his room and covering everything in its reach with it’s dull shine. He stretched, his back painfully popping with a crack and resulted in him wincing with a grunt, dropping his arms down to his sides. 

 

    “Mornin’ Darcy,” He yawned, glancing over to her cage in search of his pet. He wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t in sight, which meant she was in her cave, and felt as if the calamity yesterday had ran her rugged like it had him. “I really don’t want to go to work, but I don’t even know if the shops open today. What do you think? I should call in and see.” 

 

    Tony turned on the TV as he scooped up his phone which he had put on charge the night before, turning it on and unlocking it. A lot of notifications flooded his phone from his social media apps and he knew why, the terrorist attack yesterday. People were probably praying or wishing those who had gotten hurt better or blaming the monsters. He didn’t want to look at everyone’s talk on this, knowing it would be overrun with negativity soon. He cleared his notifications with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck as the news blared the weather in the background. 

 

    When would it play the updates on the attack? He sighed again and returned his attention to his phone, viewing the rest of his notifications. He found a couple text messages through his social media notifications and found them to really be the only thing of importance. Both were from his boss, in which she told him how sorry she was, even though he hadn’t gotten hurt, and stated that she would be closing the cafe for a good solid week. So his question about work had been answered. 

 

    Tony turned off his phone and set it down on his bed, his eyes wandering back to the TV as the news continued to unfold. Everything that had happened yesterday was so unbelievable, so unreal, that he was unsure if it had really happened. It all just didn’t make sense and maybe he was just reeling from shock, he didn’t know. The news finally began to play the tragic event from yesterday, going into depth on it all and revealing new details; some that Tony couldn’t really believe or actually think about. Everything slipped past him and out of his grasp, as if his own feelings and the very world around him was just gone. He felt numb and empty.

 

    “I don’t think today is going to be a good day,” He breathed out, falling backwards onto his bed and staring up at the ceiling. The TV continued to play and droned on in the background, even if he didn’t comprehend a single thing. “Today is the day for a big bowl of ice cream and crappy soap opera, you know Darcy?” His eyes flickered over to his crustation as he spoke, watching how she emerged slowly from her cage to seemingly look around. Then she scuttled right back into her cave. 

 

    “I’ll take that as a yes,” Tony laid there in silence, not sure what to say. He didn’t feel like doing anything and found it hard to really focus; his mind a void of nothingness. Then his phone went off, a gentle vibrating disturbing the stillness. He reached over and scooped it up, squinting at his notification. He’d been tagged in a photo and several people seemed to be coming to him about it, flooding his account with follows, likes, and comments. “What?”

 

    He unlocked his phone and clicked on the notification for the tag, his eyes widening and breath hitching when he saw what it was. It was a picture he and Bloodshot had taken, the two sitting next to each other on the couch with gaming gear on from their game they had been playing. He couldn’t believe Bloodshot had posted the picture, his eyes flicking down to the caption that read; ‘Met @Tonyfont and had a great time hanging out with him, send him some love’. He blushed and chuckled, a sheepish smile on his face as he skimmed some of the comments. 

 

    So many were complimenting the two of them, calling the pair of skeletons cute or adorable, which only made his blush darken. The picture had just been posted, in which lead him to look at what else Bloodshot had posted. Was he trying to post good and positive things to counter what had occured? It sure seemed like it. He looked at Bloodshot’s second newest post, which was him with bandages and a big, but strained smile. Tony looked at some of the burns that were somewhat visible through the bandages that covered his right half of his skull and eye socket. His neck was exposed, but he could make out a faint burn and there was a sling around his neck; hinting that the Icon had broken his arm even if it wasn’t shown in the picture. 

 

    “My heart goes out to those injured or lost yesterday. What occurred was far more than tragic and I wish I could’ve done more to assist those who had been affected. For those who were injured, I wish the best of luck to any procedure you have to go under and wish everyone well. Those families, monsters and humans, who lost or has someone in the hospital, please wish them all well and support them, they need it more than ever. But don’t forget to support yourself, your family and friends, remember that everyone needs a helping hand in this catastrophe,”  Tony read out loud, taking a moment to let it all sink in. There was so much more to what he had just read, reaching out and touching everyone’s hearts. How did Bloodshot have such a way with words? “I am alright, so please don’t worry about me. I suffered some burns and a broken arm, but that’s really it. I will be taking a break for my recovery, so apologies if I do not get back to my dms. I love you guys ~ Bloodshot.” 

 

    Tony reread everything he had read aloud, taking a longer period of time to let it all sink in before smiling and rubbing his cheekbones. Dang. Bloodshot was so kind and inspirational. Backing out of Bloodshots account after giving him a follow, Tony viewed his own profile. He was at awe at his follower count and the fact Bloodshot had followed him, turning to dig through his notifications in hope to catch up to all the new ones he had received and even reply to some. He scrolled through the likes he had received to view the comments and follows, finding them more important and worth his attention. 

 

    He ran a hand over his skull as he blushed, eyes skimming over each comment and liking them; some he replied since he actually knew what to say. Some he didn’t his social awkwardness kicking in and knocking down any hopes in a response; making it were he he just left a like and moved on to the next. He was always bad at conversations. Tony took time away from the comments after he believed he had either liked or responded to all of them to see who had followed him, surprised by the results he received and gave most of them a follow back, skimming through meme accounts content, artists art, writers stories, and fans posting fandom trash. There was so much content, each unique and varying greatly, yet so similar in some ways. 

 

    Tony turned his attention away for a moment, a soft smile on his face as his wandered to the ceiling which now looked so much brighter. He hadn’t even checked his dms yet too! This was crazy, how one day could make another so...wonderful. Tony looked over at Darcy’s cage, seeing her emerge for her sponge and he hummed; his hands reached out for his pillow so he could draw it to his chest and hug it. His fingers grabbed it and he nuzzled into the pillow, breathing out a sigh of peace. His room seemed so much brighter now, the sun shining through the window with a sweet shimmer that made each thing it touch glow with a warm vibrance; the dark and depressing vibes vanquished by the new warmth. Maybe today won’t be so bad.


	11. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Awkward Texting

 

    Tony managed to drag himself out of bed after a good solid hour of him just laying there and relaxing; his TV playing some random cartoon from when he and changed the channel. He rubbed the back of his neck and stretched before sauntering off to the kitchen, a lazy smile on his face. He desperately wanted to message Bloodshot, but he knew the other wouldn’t answer because of the injuries and the fact Bloodshot had stated he was going offline. Then again, it wouldn’t hurt, right? He could send a ‘get well soon’ or something. 

 

Breakfast first though, he was starving. Ravaging through his cabinets and fridge, he had decided on cereal; Captain Crunch to be specific. Placing the box down on his shabby table, he pulled the milk carton out of the fridge with a yawn. Once he placed down the milk carton, he seized himself a bowl and spoon; pouring in a portion of the cereal first and then the milk. He snatched up the carton of milk and put it back in the fridge before grabbing his bowl of cereal, slinking back to his room. Ads were playing on the TV when he got back and Tony rolled his eyes at the product they were showing. Some weird fur brush for ‘not only dogs but dog monsters too’. Plopping down on the bed, he placed the bowl in his lap and grabbed the remote. 

 

    “What should I say Darcy?” He asked, eye lights flickering over to the hermit crab before back to the TV. Of course he wasn’t really expecting a response and skimmed through the channels, hunting for something somewhat decent. He didn’t want to see the news, not right now at least, and ended up settling on some documentary on killer whales. “I’m not sure if I should type some cliche ‘get well’ or what. Like, should I apologize for not texting him sooner or? Stars, why is this so hard.” 

 

    Tony shoveled in a spoonful of his cereal as he watched the documentary as he tried to think of what to say, but was only bewildered that these things existed. Of course he and the monster kind wasn’t dumb, but due to living on secluded island, they had only seen so much. Then again, their animals and fish were very different compared to what the humans had. So everything was pretty new. Like Darcy, he had no idea what she was nor what a ‘regular deer’ was. This world was so interesting and magnificent, he really hoped he could travel soon to explore and see it all. Then again, the government probably wouldn’t let him or any of the monster kind. 

 

    “He’s probably received a ton of get wells though, so wouldn’t that be too cliche and annoying? My message would probably be obsolete,” He groaned and shoved in another spoonful of the cereal, brows furrowing. It shouldn’t be so hard to text Bloodshot! This was ridiculous. Tony felt like some kid trying to ask out their crush or asking for a soul bond. Well, a soul bond was pretty nerve wracking, so maybe not that. “WhatevER- I’ll just send him something.”

 

    He scooped his phone off his bed, unlocking it and clicking on the instagram app. He searched through his followed till he found Bloodshots name and clicked on it, leading him to his profile. From there, he clicked message and started typing. Though, he deleted his typed message over and over, none of them looking good enough to send. Why was this so hard? Why did he feel so obsolete? It was just a message to someone who actually wanted to keep in contact with him.

 

    Maybe that was why it was so hard for him. Tony had never had friends who were….like Bloodshot. Even at that, he didn’t really have friends because he was a major introvert. If he opened up to Bloodshot, the other would see the real him; how he was weak and pathetic, as well as a freak. Yeah, no wonder why this was so hard. This went deep, like a phobia or fear. Tony sighed and rubbed his neck, closing his eyes. He could do it. Bloodshot was so open and caring, he wouldn’t diss Tony for his flaws. Right? Yeah, right. He couldn’t have doubts, not like this. 

 

    ‘Hey Bloodshot. I’m sorry I didn’t message you sooner. It’s been pretty crazy at work, but I’m sure you can understand the feeling with your job. One of our machines exploded and it was terrible! One lady threatened to sue us and I had to clean up the massive mess. Uh, anyway- I saw the news and wanted to send you something since I forgot to message you  (sorry about that btw), so I hope you get well soon as cliche as it sounds. It looks like you endured a lot and your injuries look really bad, I hope they heal up soon and you feel a lot better. What you did was amazing and I want to applaud you. I know I’m not the only one either. BUT- again. Sorry I forgot and I hope you get well soon again.’ - Tony

 

    Tony sent the text before he could hesitate, feeling like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders as he slumped down. Why was this all so stressful? Wait, did he spell everything right?! His breath hitched as he ready over it over and over, looking for any possible mistakes. He found none to his relief, but his short moment of relief was replaced with even more anxiety as it showed that Bloodshot had saw his message and he turned off his phone, turning his gaze to the TV as he shoveled in the last bite of his cereal. Wow, he felt extremely anxious, awkward, and uncomfortable. WHOO.

 

    “Starrrrssssss- Darcy I bet he thinks I’m weird or something. I mean, what I sent was pretty dumb, why am I like this?” He laughed nervously and got up, taking his bowl to the kitchen. He dumped the last bits of milk out into the sink before placing the bowl down in it. He kinda felt excited, wondering if the Icon had answered him, but was mostly worried about how the other was viewing his message. Sighing, he headed back to his room and plopped down on his bed, smothering his face into the sheets. “Should I see if he replied? Would that be weird or? No- I’m just seeing if he replied and wants to talk. That’s not weird at all, right Darcy?”

 

    Tony spared a glance over to her cage before reaching for his phone and snatching it up; his soul nearly skipping a beat when he saw that Bloodshot had indeed replied to him. He unlocked his phone and clicked on the notifications, soul hammering in his rib cage as he slowly read the others message. 

 

    ‘Hey Tony! It’s quite alright, so don’t fret haha. It sounds like work has been a pain in the ass and I can see why you’ve been busy. I didn’t expect a direct message so soon anyway, but it is good to hear from you! Thanks for wishing me well, the worst I suffered was some burns, my arm’s fine however.’ - Bloodshot

 

    Tony smiled at the message, taking a moment to reread it. Bloodshot was so sweet and he couldn’t help but relax. Why had he gotten so worked up? Had he forgotten how Bloodshot was? He took a moment to type up a reply, weighing what all he wanted to say before he sent another message. 

 

    ‘You too, I’ve been waiting to message you for what feels like decades, but work and life just said nope. I’ve been thinking about looking at tutorials and stuff on the game we were playing so I could get better at it too, but I’m not sure. I don’t have a console. 

Burns really suck though, did they give you something for them? And painkillers for your arm? I honestly thought a monster would heal you with their magic.’ - Tony 

 

    ‘I can understand that feeling tbh and rlly? We should play again sometime. Whenever you’re free, totally hit me up. As for my burns and arm- I got some weird ointment? It’s kinda hard to apply it though since I have some on my back that can be hard to reach, especially with a broken arm. Like y’all serious? And the painkillers made me sick, so I’m not taking them. The monster healed my arm pretty well, but the burns?  They wouldn’t heal. Just kinda sizzled and popped, it was weird.’ - Bloodshot

 

    ‘Seriously? Like just...stop by? Shouldn’t we set up a date or something instead of me showing up randomly? 

I could come over and just be your nanny XD help you put on that weird stuff if you can’t reach it lol. But that really is weird? It should’ve healed.’ - Tony 

 

    ‘Yeah I’m sure. I’m homebound for awhile anyway. It’s pretty lonely too, so if you wanted to come hang out every now and then, that’d be great. I could use someone to help assist me too, so I may take you up on that offer and yes, I pay in cash for your services ~ Yeah, think my body just needs time, not force.’ - Bloodshot 

 

    Tony turned off his phone and placed it down beside him with a shaky sigh after he read that message. Was Bloodshot seriously inviting him to come over whenever? He had the entire week off….Heck, he was so visiting Bloodshot. Though he wasn’t sure about the actual ointment thing. That must’ve been a joke. There was no way Bloodshot would show off his bones to hime. That would just be weird, like really weird. Picking his phone back up, he unlocked it and went back on instagram, shooting one last message to Bloodshot. 

 

    ‘I have the entire week off because of what happened yesterday. I’ll be over to visit you soon because I’m pretty lonely too. I think we both could use some company and if possible, we can try playing games, though I think it will just me doing so lol. I’ll be over in an hour or so, I look forwards to seeing you again. 

You’re joking right btw?’ - Tony 

 

    He was unaware of the next message Bloodshot sent, his phone tossed aside as he was up and about getting ready. Tony wanted to dress nice, but comfy and not really too nice. He was excited no doubt, a smile on his face as he got ready. He was finally going to see Bloodshot.


	12. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Him

 

    The car ride over to the Luxton hotel felt like hours, the world around him passing by as the cab sped down the highway and through the streets. Tony’s eye lights watched the people and monsters as they passed by, mind briefly touching on what their lives were like before he looked away from the window and at his phone. He blinked as he saw a notification from Bloodshot, brows furrowing as he unlocked his phone to check it and found it to be an unread message. Weird. 

 

    ‘I look forwards to your arrival and only if you want it to be haha.’ - Bloodshot 

 

    Oh. He turned off his phone, a bit confused, but felt that he understood it enough to get what the other skeleton meant. Bloodshot was- rather open or did he just trust Tony? It would be weird if he already trusted the dark boned skeleton since the two had only known each other for three or four days. Maybe Bloodshot was just this open? He never saw the Icon act like that though. Maybe he was looking into this too much? Yeah. He had to be. 

 

    He sighed and slumped, turning off his phone to look back out the window. It was so weird having someone to hang out with. Was this what it was like to have friends? He really never got out enough or spoke up to enough people to make friends, so he was often alone or in an area by himself. But he barely knew Bloodshot. Then again, this didn’t mean there wasn’t a chance for a friendship to blossom. Bloodshot was a nice guy and...Tony actually wanted to hang out with him. He wanted to be the Icons friend and it wasn’t because he was famous. Bloodshot was a nice guy and Tony enjoyed being in his presence. Well, kinda because he was famous. Who didn’t want to be friends with someone who is famous? It wasn’t the main reason he was there though, because that would be sucky if it was. It was just cool being friends with someone famous. Bloodshot was just a really nice guy and great to be around.

 

    “Ey, we’re ‘ere,” The cab driver said, a scottish dog looking monster. His green eyes pierced through him as he looked back at Tony even though there wasn’t a sign of hostility. It was his look, the wiry looking grey fur and leather jacket he wore with jeans. Kinda like someone you would see with a biker gang. He’d only seen a few, but this guy certainly would fit in. “It’s twenty five o’one sunny.” 

 

Tony nodded, pulling out his wallet from his pocket and counted the bills, he was still unfamiliar with this new currency, before paying the cab driver. The dog monster counted the bills a couple of times as if he was a bit unsure if it was the correct amount and then looked at a single one dollar bill, brows knitted together. Was something wrong? Had he messed up with the money? He never really handled money, especially at work. AJ always cover the cash register because she had a better understanding and didn’t take too long on getting the money or any issues with the money figured out and handled. 

 

    “Ye handed me one extra bill instead of a penny or was ye tippin’?” The dog monster asked, cocking a brow as he looked back at Tony. The dark bone skeleton grunted and answered with tip, not wanting to look dumb or selfish. A tip was nice. The cab driver deserved a tip for the nice car ride. “Ah, well thank ye sunny, ye have a good ‘ne.” 

 

“Thank you, you too.” Tony stepped out and closed the door, making sure he was off the curb before the car sped off. He watched go for a bit before looking up at the Luxton hotel. One of the most expensive, but amazing hotels the city had to offer. It was fancy, the outside just as prestige as the inside and had stairs leading up to the entrance. It was taller than the buildings around it and had a delicate looking set up, which was incredibly beautiful; there was even balconies for some of the rooms! He shook his skull and headed up the stairs, not wanting to look weird for standing and gawking at how amazing this hotel was. Humans didn’t look at him nicely, some staring and murmuring or scowling in disgust. Why would a monster be on their side of the city? 

 

    He sighed and ignored the glares he received as he pushed open the door, wincing at the strong smell of lemons. Wow. lemons. He didn’t remember smelling this last time, but he had slept since then. It wasn’t an awful smell either, it was just really strong. His eyes widened as the sight of the Luxtons interior lobby was presented to him; chandeliers hung from the ceiling, little diamonds glistening in the light as a fountain like a waterfall hung over along the side on a wall, raining down and around a door entrance off to the side. From what he could see, it lead to some restaurant or bar, the water caught in troughs and barreled over to a fountain on the side. It was of some sea creature that he had seen on Tv, but didn’t know the name of. TVs hung in one sections, in which there was furniture and people as well as a couple monsters perched upon; the carpet beneath that sections and preventing the marble floor from getting marked or scratched up. A staircase spiraled up to the left of the check in counter, offering a view to the lobby below; the elevators positioned next to them, bell boys and girls rushing around to help those staying in the luxury. Dang how had Tony missed this earlier? 

 

    “Hello and welcome to the Luxton, my name is Mindy. How can I help you today?” A short, chubby looking women said in a high pitched voice as she dashed over to him, her shoes clicking on the smooth and polished floor. She was wearing some weird uniform of pastel reds and white, a small hat connected to some band that held back her dark brown hair that flowed behind her as she moved. She held her posture in an elegant fashion, standing still with her hands crossed behind her back; her brown eyes locking with his white eye lights. 

 

    “Oh! Uh, hello Mindy. I’m not really here to stay or anything- not that this place isn’t amazing because it is! But, I’m just here to visit my friend Bloodshot,” Tony said meekly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Mindy stiffened slightly and narrowed her eyes. Was that bad? Was there a problem? Was he not supposed to be here or something? “That’s okay, right? He invited me over to visit whenever I wanted to.”

 

    “Who are you? Bloodshot did call ahead and said someone was visiting, but as a security protocol, I have to make sure you’re who he was talking about,” The human stated and Tony swallowed thickly. Of course there would be a security protocol! People probably tried to break into the hotel to hurt or attack Bloodshot. That must’ve been crazy. Was Bloodshot ever paranoid? He never acted like it. “Well, what is you name hm?”

 

    “T-Tony, it’s-it’s Tony. I can show you our messages if you need to see them,” He offered, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He was about to unlock his phone when Mindy shook her head, gesturing that he follow her; in which he did, following behind the short woman as she strutted over the elevator. “Uh, where are we going?” 

 

    “To Bloodshot of course, just be quiet alright? Wait till we are in the elevator,” Mindy came to a halt in front of one of the three elevators, pressing the button. She tapped her foot as she waited, creating a clicking noise that was barely heard over the talk among those within the lobby. He stood awkwardly next to her, fidgeting with the cuff of his sleeve; unsure what to do with himself as he waited. This was really weird, even if he understood the security protocol. The elevator arrived with a ping, notifying the two of its arrival before opening its door. Mindy stepped in and he followed, waiting for the door to close before speaking again. “Sorry, it’s just best no one ease drops, haha. We have to be careful. Anyway, Bloodshot is on a private floor, so you will need me or one of my employees to use a key to access the button to it, from there, his room is on the 18th floor and has his name on his door.” 

 

    Tony nodded, stuffing his hands into his hoodie pocket, eye lights flickering up to the mirror above him. He saw how tired he was, a bit of a dull black below his eye sockets; his eye lights a bit duller than normal. He looked so out of place here, his baggy hoodie and pants making it seem as he was someone from the streets, but despite everything, it was still him. He was who he was, even if he didn’t like it. Peeling away his eyes from the mirror as the elevator pinged and came to a halt, he bid Mindy goodbye and sauntered out of the elevator and down the hall. 

 

    The walls were painted a pretty maroon, small pictures hung up to help decorate the walls along with the lights that hung up like the ones he had seen in a movie theater once. There was a couple of small tables in sight, vases of red flowers on them. There were some dirty dishes set outside of a couple floors, which confused him slightly as he passed by. Did they get room service? Probably in all honesty, they were rich. He scanned each door; each of them having some sort of plaque on them with names. Each one was different and his eyes lingered on some longer than others. As he walked, the small of the hotel sunk into him and made one of those nostalgic feelings wash over him, his tense posture loosening up. 

 

    Tony sighed softly, eyeing each plaque until he finally came across the one he was looking for; Bloodshots. It was a solid black, seeming to absorb all the light into it and shimmer faintly. The Icons name was engraved in gold and now that he looked closer, it looked like the black was oozing, red tinting the bottom droplets. Huh. That was weird, but cool. He straightened his posture as he went to knock on the door, the sweet feeling now gone. Anxiety had replaced it and he was now nervous about coming face to face with Bloodshot. But, the other was awaiting him. 

 

    Gulping, Tony reached out his hand…..and knocked.


	13. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Gaming Vibes

 

 

Tony retracted his hand as soon as he had finished his knocks, drawing back a couple steps as he stared at the door. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting; a quick answer and the door opening immediately or perhaps a moment of waiting before the door would open and he would be greeted. But, instead there was a crash and a loud swear before he heard footsteps approaching the door. He tensed and it swung open, revealing the tall skeleton who wore baggy pj pants and a big, baggy t-shirt that was far too big for him. Bloodshot stood slumped over, looking absolutely exhausted, but managed a cheery smile as he welcomed Tony inside. 

 

    “Hey,” Bloodshot greeted, his voice a bit raspy. Was he doing okay? Tony shuffled inside and Bloodshot closed the door behind him, gesturing for Tony to take a seat. “I’m glad you made it! It’s certainly nice to have company, I can make you do my dirty work,” The dark boned skeleton blinked, blushing slightly as the other skeleton laughed softly and smiled. “Joking! I was just cleaning up my mess from cooking when I dropped some pans. Otherwise, I have ham cooking and will be done within a hour. I’ll have to get up to make the vegetables to go with it about ten minutes prior, hope that's alright. I just wanted to have something for lunch prepared,” Bloodshot looked nervous, his smile becoming sheepish as he looked to the side. Bits of his burns were visible through the bandages, searing his white bones in black and blistering red. It looked….terrible. How was he so cheery? “You like ham and green beans right? Corn on the cob too?”

 

    Bloodshot looked so nervous that Tony just wanted to hug him. He looked cute. Er- Tony blushed faintly, drawing his mind away from that thought and onto the fact Bloodshot was trying to prepare a nice lunch since had had came over. That was really nice of him and he felt a smile spread across his face as he nodded. Tony plopped down on the couch and Bloodshot sat down next to him, sitting up straight. Right, his back. Poor Bloodshot. How was he holding up so well? He looked downright exhausted- and he had to be in pain too. 

 

“Yes, it sounds like a good lunch,” Tony murmured and the tall skeleton relaxed, seeming relieved by the response. He felt bad that he had worried the Icon about such a thing, despite the fact he hadn’t even asked for lunch and had no part in Bloodshots decision in making it. “You should really be resting though- you know? Aha?” He felt awkward as he tried to ease in the fact Bloodshot should be resting and not trying to make a nice meal; though the tall skeleton probably cooked for himself all the time. “I could order pizza or something for us.”

 

    “Oh, well resting is pretty boring,” The Icon muttered with a huff, waving his hand as if he was dismissing the thought of resting. He looked like he needed it however, the deep pools of black under his eyes replacing the red that was there before hand. “Besides, I wanted to cook something! It’s not every day I have a guest over and I love cooking anyway,” The tall skeleton paused to inhale, slumping slightly and letting his eye fall half lidded. Tony almost thought he was going to fall asleep for a second and gently tapped him on the shoulder, making Bloodshot sit up straight and rub his uncovered eye with his good hand. “And..it would be rude if I slept after you came all this way to visit.” 

 

    Tony blinked, looking away as his brows knitted together. He felt an array of emotions from happiness and touched, to pity and worry. Bloodshot was too sweet, worrying about making a perfect meal for Tony despite his injuries and the fact he looked ,and probably was, exhausted. But, he was probably burdening the other with his presence. Was the other straining himself to look good? Tony sure hoped not, the Icon needed as much rest as he could get. He looked so worn out. 

 

    “You really need rest,” Tony stated with a nervous chuckle, feeling a bit of regret wash over him. The Icon frowned at the statement and opened his mouth to speak, but Tony cut him off. “I’m serious! You look like you’re about to pass out. Plus, I should’ve gotten something for lunch.” 

 

    “Woah, woah, woah,” The tall skeleton huffed, waving his good hand frantically. He looked like he knew that Tony was right, but didn’t seem to want to make it known. “I’m alright! I’ll sleep tonight after you leave,” He rubbed the back of his neck with a wince, probably because he touched some burn, before he dropped his arm down to his side. “I just need some company right now. I’m lonely and bored, like Bruce and Dee say I can’t go out and do stuff! What do I do? Lay around all day and be lazy, unproductive? No way.” 

 

    Tony snorted, cocking a brow at Bloodshot, but he knew the other was being serious. He did look rather lonely, so maybe it was good of him to stop by. Even if Bloodshot looked like he was going to pass out, the Icon seemed to be relieved and happy the dark boned skeleton showed up. The Icon puffed out his chest slightly, as if he was trying to look big and courageous, beaming over at Tony. He chuckled, trying to contain his laughter; he didn’t want to laugh at Bloodshot and offered a smile instead. 

 

    “You also mentioned pizza,” He stated sharply, brows raising as he waited for a response. Right, he had. Did the taller skeleton like pizza? Well who didn’t? It looked like Bloodshot wanted to take up his offer, but he already had lunch cooking: speaking of lunch could he help out? Was the other implying he should stay later? “I think pizza would make a great dish for dinner, so yes, I shall take your offer for pizza.” 

 

    “Oh- uh alright. I can stay for dinner,” Tony replied, a bit taken back by the fact the other wanted him to stay so long. But, Bloodshot said he was lonely and bored; wanting company. Tony was that company and entertainment. He kinda felt happy by the fact Bloodshot wanted him to hang around, but was finding it worrisome he might do something wrong and mess up. He had to use his inhaler too, which would be embarrassing. He hoped Bloodshot would look away again because he certainly couldn’t use it with people looking, it just made his anxiety worse. “What kind of pizza do you like anyway? Just so I know what to order ahead of time.” 

 

    “Pepperoni, just pepperoni. I absolutely love pepperoni pizza. It’s so good…,” Bloodshot murmured, reaching over for the remote as he turned the tv on, then the console. Wait, console? How many did he have? The logo appeared, showing the brand ‘Playstation’ and he hummed. The one he saw in Bloodshots room was an Xbox. Did this mean the consoles controls were different? Did it have a remote? Tony knew too little of these things, it was kinda embarrassing. “But, I have to watch myself, don’t want to eat too much grease you know?”

 

    “Yeah, pizza isn’t the healthiest thing, but then again, what is health now days? All I hear is people complaining about how bad food is,” Tony glanced over to Bloodshot, who was pulling out a single remote from under the compartment at the bottom of the wooden table. It looked fair similar to the Xbox controller, just with a few minor differences. The joysticks were together, the arrow button off to the side where one of the joysticks had been. The marking for the Xbox trademark was of course gone, replaced with a glowing pad. The buttons looked kinda different too; the Y, A, and B replaced with a square, triangle, and circle. “What are we playing?”

 

    “I’m not sure, I’m not familiar with human foods. While a lot of our foods have expanded more, it’s crafted into magic by monster chiefs of ours. It’s still magic,” Bloodshot selected the game, in which meant the CD was already in the console. Tony barely saw the title, it was Resident something. He didn’t manage to change the whole title and to his relief, it showed the title screen just seconds after. Resident Evil 2. Huh. Looked cool. “While our foods have mimicked what the humans serve, we still have our classics or what our ancestors ate. I’m not familiar with the old timey monster foods, but I don’t know human foods too well. I just eat some of the magic versions of their foods,” He faltered for a moment, seeming focused on the game. It must’ve been hard to use the controller with one hand, even if he was doing it rather well and didn’t seem to be having issues. “Resident Evil two, it’s a great game.” 

 

    The smile on Bloodshots face when he said it was a great game was worrisome and Tony shrank back into the couch, sheepishly smiling. Should he be worried?


	14. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The Game 

 

    Resident Evil 2 was nothing compared to what Tony was expecting. Sure, he wasn’t expecting some rainbow game, but the zombies- they sent chills down his spine. The introduction was what got him the most, the graphics rather realistic; the truck driver being what spooked him the most. It was a good introduction to the game according to Bloodshot, the game wiring the player up before tearing the story on the radio out of their hands and leaving them wanting more, even if they got what was going on. Tony didn’t know, but he wasn’t familiar with games and certainly not zombies. The moment the truck driver hit the girl sent him reeling, only to squeal to realize she was a zombie. 

 

    But Tony had no idea what Zombies were when he saw her get back up, making unnatural noises that made him tense up and quietly ask what was wrong with her. Bloodshot seemed to find this funny and laughed, causing him to blush heavily and look away. The taller skeleton paused the game, quickly explaining what a zombie was and how they were a monster made by the humans for their horror games. While Tony found the idea a bit offensive and really embarrassing that he had no idea, the Icon made sure to let him know that it was fine. He didn’t seem to hold any expectations for Tony and didn’t mind providing insight on things he didn’t understand. 

 

    The other being so understanding made it easier for Tony to relax and feel rather comfortable, continuing on with the game once Blood has unpaused it. The Icon continued to give him tips as he played as Leon, the dark boned skeleton tensing up at the atmosphere set in the scene where Leon went into the gas station. He nearly screamed at the jump scare, jumping and tensing up as he immediately got the character he played as out of there. He didn’t have enough ammo to kill all the zombies that began to swarm around him, but to his surprise and not Bloodshots, the other clearly had played the game, another person showed up. Her name was Claire and the pair ended up escaping together to the city, which was even more infested than the gas station prior. Tony was getting into the game, even though it scared him a lot and left him tense or trembling. 

 

    

    By the time Tony really needed Bloodshots help, the other had dispersed into the kitchen to finish up lunch, which ended up being delicious and Tony was relieved to get away from the game. It really made his soul pound and hands shaky. Bloodshot had asked if he was alright and if he needed to play another game, but was turned down by Tony. They found a spot to pause once Bloodshot had finished lunch; the two sitting on the couch and enjoying the meal. It tasted so amazing- Tony went for seconds and thanked Bloodshot for the delicious meal a couple times. This seemed to make the Icon happy, him smiling and blushing, saying it was no problem. 

 

But, time flew quickly and Tony hadn’t been paying attention. It felt as if he had just walked through the door and greeted Bloodshot, despite it being nearly six in the afternoon. He had made so much progress, thanks to Bloodshots tips, and now was leaving the police station in the game. Wow, this wasn’t the end? Tony wasn’t sure how to feel, but was excited regardless, looking over at Bloodshot to tell him his accomplishment.

 

    “Hey Bloodshot, I mad-,” The dark boned skeleton blinked in surprise upon the sight he saw. Bloodshot sat slumped over, his eye closed as he quietly slept. He hadn’t even noticed the Icon dozing off and found it kinda cute, pausing the game as he turned to face Bloodshot. The position he was in didn’t look comfortable in the slightest- but he wasn’t sure what to do other than wake him up. But Tony didn’t want to wake up Bloodshot; the taller skeleton needed rest. “Hmmm…”

 

    He thought about laying the other down, but if he pushed Bloodshot, the other was bound to wake up. Leaving him in that position would probably worsen the pain he felt; leaning him back was another option, which seemed like the best one in his opinion. Slowly getting up, Tony moved to gently nudge Bloodshot back, making sure he didn’t disturb him in the process. Thankfully the Icon didn’t do much other than shift slightly, his form relaxing as he tilted his skull back. Tony smiled softly and looked around for any blankets, finding one folded on the back of the couch. He snatched it up and covered up Bloodshot, making sure he was nice and snug before returning back to the game. 

 

    The smaller skeleton turned it down before leaning back into the couch, his mind no longer focused on the game. He looked over at Bloodshot and felt his smile widen; the sight of the other so relaxed and seemingly happy made his soul skip a beat. The other must’ve been so exhausted and even though they hadn’t ordered pizza, wait, the pizza! Tony sat up and paused the game immediately, reaching for his phone that he had sat on the coffee table. His jaw nearly dropped when he saw the time as he turned on his phone, amazed by how time had just flown by so fast. There wasn’t time for pizza now, especially since Bloodshot was sleeping. Plus, it was getting dark and he needed to head home. 

 

    Tony sighed and pulled up instagram, typing out a message for Bloodshot. He really didn’t want to leave, but he was in no place to spend the night. It would be awkward if he did so, especially since he never asked and the two barely knew each other. Yeah. Really awkward. He sent the message and stood up, pulling out his inhaler to quickly use it. Perfect timing, no one looking and he didn’t have to worry about using it until he went to bed or had problems breathing during the night. He needed to shut the game off before he left too; he walked over and clicked what he assumed was the power button after a moment of searching before turning the tv off right after. 

 

    “Alright...guess it’s time for me to depart,” He murmured softly, glancing over at Bloodshot. He looked so peaceful; his brows were no longer furrowed and his facial expression no longer showing some tension, just relaxed. At peace. The small skeleton smiled and headed over to the door, it clicking unlocked as he opened it. “Thanks for letting me hangout, I had fun.” 

 

    The door clicked shut as he stepped out, leaving the slumbering skeleton on the couch. The kitchen dully lighting up the living room as his phone pinged with a single message from Tony; 

 

‘I had fun tonight, I really hope we can hang out again sometime soon. I swear I’ll get you that pizza, just next time you have to be awake for it. Either or, rest well. I look forwards to seeing you again.’ - Tony


	15. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The Question

 

Before Tony knew it, he was back over at Bloodshot’s the next day picking up at where he left off. The other had invited him to come back over and he just couldn’t resist; time flew when he was with Bloodshot. He knew he couldn’t stay every day, but he couldn’t turn down Bloodshots offer. There was something intoxicatingly great about being around the other- he sure hoped a friendship was coming out of the time the two skeletons spent together hang out; Tony wanted to be the Icons friend.

 

Tony focused on the screen as his character, Leon, headed down into the sewers, a chill creeping up his spine as his breath hitched. He felt as he could smell its petrided stench, nose scrunching up at the treacherous sights he was seeing. He saw a couple bodies, but none stirred; the rats scurried around screeching and squeaking in the filthy place. This was unsettling even though his character had company, the Agent Ada, and he kinda wished the game ended as soon as he left the Police station. What would be down here? Bloodshot had somewhat of a smug face as he watched Tony and he munched on a slice of pizza, which made Tony even more anxious. He definitely knew something and wasn’t telling, but Tony didn't pry. The Icon seemed to like it when the smaller skeleton got surprised and he kind of did too; not having the answers to everything made the game so much more fun. 

 

Speaking of surprises- a massive crocodile lunged out of the water as he had Leon jump down into the disgusting sewer waters, screaming in his characters face. Tony squealed and dropped the remote in surprise, leaving his character vulnerable. Bloodshot laughed softly, a small smile on his face as he reached over to click pause, ensuring Tony a chance of escaping and not getting gobbled up by the mutant croc. The smaller skeletons face flushed as he looked at the Icon, who had returned to munching on his pizza; his hands shook as he picked up the remote and tore his gaze away from him. 

 

‘Wow, how embarrassing’, Tony thought as he reached up to rub his cheek. It felt like it was on fire- stars this was so embarrassing. He hadn’t meant to react in that way or get so spooked. He shakily inhaled and unpaused the game despite the fact his soul was pounding in his chest; he had to move immediately to avoid getting nabbed by the mutants jaws, his character swerving to the right as it snapped up everything up on the left. He thought trying to escape this thing would be a bit harder, but it was a simple duck and dodge, even if the beast came close to snapping up his character.

 

“You’re doing great,” Bloodshot chirped as Tony made Leon duck under the pipes, the massive croc sealing it’s jaws on the metal. It crushed it, causing gas to pour out and into the air as it squirmed; it wasn’t done with him yet. “You might want to shoot that pipe before it breaks it and makes you it’s chew toy.” The taller skeleton looked over at Tony, who instantly took that into note and raised his gun. He had barely any time to aim as he fired away and the pipe exploded; his character was flug backwards into the disgusting water as the crocs head exploded and it’s body became lifeless. 

 

Tony scrunched up his nose in disgust and shuddered. That was disgusting. The fact he could see chunks of the crocs head laying around and the bloodied neck where the head had been blown off disturbed him greatly. He forgot how much gore this game to show at times, especially since he wasn’t much of a fan of it and it often made him queasy. How could Bloodshot handle the sight of that? He glanced over at the other skeleton who hummed, meeting his gaze for a split second before Tony looked away to focus back on the game. Maybe Bloodshot played a lot of these games? It was horror and from what he knew, horror was normally scary and gory. 

 

“How can you handle stuff like this? It always makes me sick- like nauseous,” Tony asked as Leon pressed forth, him not daring to take his eyes off the screen after seeing that mutant croc. Stars knew what else could be down here. Mayve mutant rats? Or that creepy guy named Mr. X? Mr. X was creepy as all get out, his stone cold face staring him down as he followed behind, trying to get ahold of him to snap his neck. “Even Mr. X freaks me out, he gets so close sometimes. Oh! And the dogs, stars I hate them.” 

 

    “It scared me the first time just like you with the jump scares; that’s why they are there. You never expect them and then there’s the suspense that come with them. Like right before them- it like dances around you before striking,” The Icon whistled and shook his skull. The other was making it obvious that he had an experience with horror games. How many did Bloodshot own? Or at least how many had he played? He had unlimited amounts of cash, so there honestly no telling. “But with all the games I’ve played, stuff like that is honestly nothing. I’ve seen so much it doesn’t bother me. Like how a doctor sees some pretty nasty stuff, but isn’t grossed out, y’know?” 

 

    “Yeah. I’m not sure how they can stomach that stuff,” Tony shuddered, recalling how he had watched some drama show within the ER. A lot of the patients shown were pretty gruesome or suffering from things Tony didn’t even know existed. Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about most of it. Monsters had their own illnesses as if and if he could catch everything humans could, he would’ve shriveled up and stayed hidden in his room. “I saw a show on that stuff, I swear my skull was nearly green. It grossed me out so much, all that blood and flesh...yikes.” 

 

“Pffft, we know who’s a lil’ wimp here,” Bloodshot laughed softly, causing Tony to blush and try to focus on the game harder. He was embarrassed by the remark and slightly worried the other saw him as just pathetic and a weak wimp. Not that he really wasn’t, but he just didn’t want Bloodshot to think little of him. He was pretty great right? “I’m kidding, you’re great Tony. Don’t look so worried alright?”

 

    Tony relaxed when the other answered the question he hadn’t even asked, his blush darkening as he sighed and paused the game to look Bloodshot in the eye. The others warm red orb offering nothing but appreciation and happiness, but for what Tony didn’t know. He would never think it would be him that the other would be admiring with such a warm and caring gaze. He smiled sheepishly, drawing out the question he’d been wanting to ask despite knowing the Icon so little. 

 

    “Are we friends?”


	16. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Last one  
> Its unfinished

Chapter 14

Establishing it

 

“Yes?” Bloodshot answered as hestantly as Tony asked, looking nervous over his answer. He looked away and fidgeted with his good hand, making Tony wonder if there was something Bloodshot wasn’t telling him. Did the other not want to be friends with him? Was there something wrong? Did the Icon not like him? The smaller skeletons anxiety spiked and his breath hitched, him reaching inside his hoodie for his inhaler in case he needed it. “I mean, do you want to be friends? I’d like to.” 

 

    Tony blinked, his anxiety dissipating as soon as it had come and he inhaled deeply to relax himself. Bloodshot wanted to be his friend. Which the more he thought about it the more he blushed and found himself mentally screaming joyously. Wow Tony, wow. He inhaled again before exhaling, trying to compose himself as he looked back over to Bloodshot. The other met his gaze, still warm and caring. It made him instantly relax, feeling welcome and cared for, as if he was important. 

 

    “Yes, I-,” He cut himself off before he could get too emotional. Calm it. He looked at his lap and smiled before he dared to continue talking. “I’d love to be friends. You’re a great person and I have so much fun hanging out with you. Hopefully that’s normal and stuff, I just like talking to you and stuff,” Bloodshot laughed softly, hand reaching over to brush against Tonys. He had a big smile on his face and looked relaxed as well, his worried look earlier completely vanished. “What? What’s so funny?”

 

    “Nothing, you just looked really happy,” The taller skeleton murmured, drawing his thumb along Tonys knuckles. He found himself liking the gentle touch and slumping down into the couch, hand opening up to take Bloodshots in it. Tony wasn’t thinking too much about what he was doing, but he didn’t care. Bloodshot didn’t seem to either, a rumbly chuckle escaping him as he continued to stroke the others knuckles. “Want to take a break and watch a movie? I’ll make popcorn and grab some sodas. We can finish off the pizza while we’re at it too.” 

 

    “Yeah- but no horror! You got it?” Tony stated sharply, not realizing his outburst until it was too late. Stars, that sounded so rude. He hoped Bloodshot wasn’t mad. He nervously looked over at the other to see him snorting, trying not to laugh. Flecks of pain were visible in his eyes, but the Icon said nothing as he tried to calm himself. “Er- you okay?” 

 

    “Yes,” Bloodshot wheezed out, taking in a couple more deep breaths before he relaxed himself and straightened his posture. He retracted his hand to ruvisibly formed; from pain or happiness, Tony wasn’t sure. “Sorry, laughing just hurts. My ribs kinda are, I dunno, bruised. So yeah, otherwise I am fine, just very sore and tender. I honestly feel like a steak that got beat up and fried. Like weird to say and all, but it gives you an idea.” 

 

    Tony laughed at Bloodshot statement, even though he had never eaten steak, he knew what it was and found the others statement hilarious. The Icon was certainly something and it wasn’t what he was expecting. Not in a bad way however, Tony enjoyed Bloodshots company and how the other spoke. It wasn’t boring serious talk, just joking around or just casual small talk. He honestly felt comfortable and relaxed here, though of course he was a bit tense about embarrassing himself. 

 

    “You’re funny,” Tony managed to say through his fits of giggles, a smile on his face as he looked over at Bloodshot. The other was smiling back, though he looked a tad bit embarrassed with a faint blush on his cheekbones. The smaller skeleton drew in a sharp breath, trying to calm himself down before he started wheezing and crying from laughing so hard. He really didn’t want to embarrass himself like that, even if Bloodshot didn’t seem to care or judge him for stuff.


End file.
